2 women guilty: 8-year-old in Brick, NJ locked in room with no bed, lights

Two women face up to 10 years in prison after they locked one of their children in a room around the clock with no furniture, no bathroom, and no lights.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday that a jury found Donna Jung, 57, and Helecia Morris, 41, guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, following a week-long trial.

The abuse and neglect occurred between April 2015 and early 2016, the prosecutor's office said.

On Jan. 9, 2016, officers from Brick Township responded to a residence on Queen Ann Road in reference to a wellness check on Morris's biological 8-year-old son.

Responding officers found the child locked in his room, which reeked of urine, the prosecutor's office said. The room had no bed, no furniture, no lights, and no toys, according to officials.

The child and two other minors were removed from the residence and taken to a local hospital for an evaluation. All three minors were subsequently placed in foster care.

According to an investigation, the child was locked in his room "day and night" by Morris and Jung. He was not allowed to use the bathroom in the home and was excluded from socializing with the rest of the family.

The two women were arrested days later, following a court-authorized search warrant on the residence. They were transported to Ocean County Jail and then released on bail.

Ocean County officials say Jung is a resident of Lehigh Acres, Florida. Morris's chart on the Ocean County Sheriff's Office webpage lists a last name of Morris-Jung.

Sentencing for the women is scheduled for July 7. They will remain in jail until then.

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